


Hopeless

by magicalboymiracle



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mastermind, Gen, protagonist!Junko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-08
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-01-24 00:52:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1585685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicalboymiracle/pseuds/magicalboymiracle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU fic starring Junko as protagonist. Additional tags may be added and rating may change accordingly as the story unfolds.</p><p>Major endgame spoilers, unsurprisingly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've never seen a protag!junko au before, can you believe it? tried to add to this apparent shortage.
> 
> to be honest i've been sitting on this idea for ages but probably would never have gotten started with writing it if i hadn't been allowed to do so for a homework assignment, thank you based college
> 
> i apologize for the title of this fic, it was my working title and it stuck

“Personally, I think this is super exciting!” says Junko Enoshima.

The entrance hall doors are blocked by an enormous metal bulkhead. At its center is a complicated control panel, all buttons and switches, like something out of a sci-fi movie. Junko takes a step closer, stretching out an impeccably manicured hand to run it along the rows of buttons.

Mukuro catches her wrist. “Don’t.”

“Aww.” Junko pouts, pulling her hand away. “Why’d you stop me, sis?”

“See those?” Mukuro Ikusaba points towards the ceiling, where a pair of multi-lensed security cameras hang like wasp’s nests on either side of the door. Beneath each camera is a dark, double-barreled mass of metal.

“Guns?”

Mukuro nods. “We don’t know what sets them off. Be careful.”

Junko frowns, twirling a piece of her long blonde hair around her finger.

“Junko…” Mukuro hesitates, her blue eyes anxious. “What do you think is going on here?”

“Huh?” Junko flashes a sunny smile at her twin. “Don’t look so worried! I bet the upperclassmen are just playing a prank on us.”

“But when we entered the school this morning, the bulkhead wasn’t there.”

Junko waves a hand dismissively. “Hope’s Peak Academy can do anything! Maybe one of us is a Super High-school Level Door Builder.”

Despite the worry still evident in her eyes, Mukuro smiles.

“Um, excuse me?”

Junko turns around to find herself face-to-face with one of her new classmates; a boy, shorter than herself, with untidy brown hair and wide green eyes. Save for his rather abysmal fashion sense — his blazer looks slightly too small, she notes disdainfully, and he’s wearing a hoodie underneath it, of all things — there’s nothing remarkable about him. Certainly he doesn’t look familiar. Strange, Junko thinks; most of her classmates are famous, aren’t they?

The boy goes a peculiar shade of pink under her scrutiny, and she can’t help but feel pleased. “Hi!” she says brightly, flashing her most brilliant smile at him; the same smile that’s graced the cover of countless magazines since her rise to stardom. “Were you looking for somebody?”

He bites his lower lip. “Not exactly, but… um, sorry to interrupt, but we’re all meeting in the gymnasium. Right now. I think it might be kind of important.”

“No problem!” Junko beams at him, purely to see if he’ll go even pinker in response. He does. “I’m Junko Enoshima, by the way—” he must know who she is, of course, but formalities are formalities “—and this is my sister, Mukuro Ikusaba.” She punctuates this last remark by throwing an arm around Mukuro’s shoulders.

The boy’s eyes dart from Junko’s face to Mukuro’s and back again.

“I’m Makoto Naegi,” he says. “Pleased to meet you!” And he sounds it.

* * *

“But what about the guns?” Mukuro asks. She speaks quietly, hoping only her sister will hear her.

“I don’t know!” Junko snaps back. “You worry too much, Mukuro-chan. Everything’s _fine_.”

Ignoring the hurt look on her sister’s face, she skips forward to catch up with Naegi, who’s walking a few paces ahead of her. “Hey, Naegi-kun! What’s your Super High-school Level talent, anyway?”

“Ah, well…” Naegi comes to a halt, looking down at the ground bashfully. “The truth is, I don’t really have any sort of special talent.”

“Huh? Then how did you—”

“Good luck,” Naegi says. He meets her gaze head-on for the first time, expression sincere. “I won a random ‘good luck’ scholarship. Every student in the country was entered, and Hope’s Peak Academy picked me.”

“You’re joking,” Junko says, incredulous. “Why would Hope’s Peak be letting in untalented nobodies? This is the most elite institution in Japan.”

“Forgive my sister,” Mukuro cuts in. “She doesn’t mean to be so rude.”

Junko shoots a glare at her twin. “I’m just saying! There must be _some_ reason they let you in, Naegi-kun. Maybe you’ve got some secret talent, you know. Something even you don’t know about.”

Naegi’s brow furrows, and he shakes his head. “No… no, I don’t think so. I’m completely untalented.” He shoves his hands deep into his pants pockets, shoulders hunching slightly. “There’s really nothing special about me.”

Before Junko can reply, the noise of an electronic school bell peals through the air, chiming four times. A sudden discharge of static follows, and, to their left, a TV monitor near the ceiling flicks on. The display shows nothing but static for several seconds.

“Ah— ah— mike test, mike test!”

The voice is high-pitched and cheerful, and Junko is hit with a strong feeling of having heard it before; long ago, maybe, and in some different context. She glances at Mukuro, who’s staring at the monitor, mouth hanging slightly open. The monitor is still displaying static, but most of the center of the screen is completely dark — like a silhouette.

“This is an announcement!” the voice continues. “All new students, please gather in the gymnasium. This year’s entrance ceremony is about to begin. All new students!”

“Junko,” Mukuro says, voice shaking slightly, “what the hell is going on here?”

Junko elbows her. “Calm _down_.”

“And with that,” the cheery voice from the monitor continues, “I welcome you all!”

The monitor goes dark, the static noise cutting out with it.

“Well, it looks like you were right about us having to meet in the gym, Naegi-kun!” Junko says merrily. “It sounds like Hope’s Peak is planning something special for us! Isn’t that exciting?”

Naegi doesn’t answer. Junko notices that he’s trembling, pupils dilated wide as he stares off into space.

“What’s _with_ you two? You’re such killjoys!” Junko rounds on Mukuro, annoyed. “Muku-chan, you’re a _soldier_. A member of Fenrir! Don’t tell me you got scared of some stupid school announcement!”

Mukuro takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. “I’m not scared. But… Junko, doesn’t something about this feel _wrong_ to you?”

“Not really,” Junko says breezily. “Come on, let’s get to the gymnasium. Everyone else must be there already.”

* * *

Indeed, everyone else is there already. Junko counts under her breath: thirteen new faces, plus herself, Mukuro, and Naegi for a total of sixteen incoming Hope’s Peak students. Of course, many of the faces aren’t new to her; her classmates _are_ all super-talented, after all. Well, she amends silently as she gazes at the brown-haired boy standing next to her, all of them but Naegi-kun, anyway.

“Who’s that girl over there?” Mukuro points across the room. “Purple hair, dark jacket. I don’t recognize her.”

“You’ve been off training for too long and now you don’t know who anyone famous is,” Junko replies absently, not looking at the purple-haired, dark-jacketed girl in question.

Mukuro starts to protest, but her words are cut off by a loud voice.

“Excuse me, classmates! You are all tardy! Such lateness is unacceptable!”

The speaker is a boy in a white uniform, who in an instant plants himself directly in front of them. Junko notes mentally that he has the thickest, most impressive eyebrows she has ever seen.

“It is particularly important to be punctual on the first day of school! To arrive late to a ceremony at such a distinguished institution as this is an outrage!” The boy’s pointer finger swings dramatically from Naegi to Junko to Mukuro and back again in a vain attempt to direct itself at all of them at once.

“It wasn’t our fault!” Mukuro protests, crossing her arms. “Who even _are_ you, anyway?”

The boy immediately straightens into a salute. “My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru! In life, I value simplicity and fortitude above all else! I believe that all of us Super High-school Level students should study hard, be productive, and strive to do our best this school year!”

Mukuro mutters something nearly inaudible about asking for his name, not his life story.

Naegi leans in towards Junko and Mukuro, speaking quietly. “Ishimaru-kun is renowned for being a model student. He always gets perfect marks in everything, and he doesn't even have a single spot on his record.. yet, anyway. He was on the disciplinary committee at his old school.”

“Oh, I think I’ve heard of him!” Junko turns her attention back to Ishimaru. “Great to meet you! I’m Junko Enoshima, _this—_ ” she throws one arm around Mukuro’s shoulders “—is Mukuro Ikusaba, and _this—_ ” she throws her other arm around Naegi’s shoulders “—is Makoto Naegi.”

Ishimaru beams at them. “Splendid to meet you all!”

“We should try and meet some of our other classmates,” Naegi suggests. “Um, if you’ll excuse us, Ishimaru-kun?”

“Certainly!” Ishimaru looks suddenly thoughtful. “Though… isn’t it peculiar that the ceremony hasn’t begun yet? It’s already past eight.”

“Why is everyone so worried?” Junko asks loudly. “So what if we’re starting a bit late!”

“It’s best that we meet some of the others first, isn’t it?” Naegi gestures towards the other students, who, for the most part, are milling about the room. Some look nervous; some annoyed; some seem completely unfazed.

“Naegi-kun?” a girl’s voice calls. “Is that really you?”

Naegi starts, looking around for the speaker. She approaches from somewhere in the middle of the crowd, and Junko, with surprise, realizes that this girl is very famous indeed. Sayaka Maizono, leader of a famous all-girl idol group — how could an ordinary boy like Naegi-kun know someone like her? Junko wonders.

“It really _is_ you, isn’t it? Makoto Naegi?” Maizono claps a hand to her mouth. “I can’t believe I’d run into you here! What are the odds of that?”

“Maizono-san?” Naegi blinks at her. “You remember me?”

“Of course I do! You haven’t changed a bit since middle school…” She giggles, then turns to Junko. “Enoshima-san! We’ve never met, but I know who you are, of course. It’s lovely to meet you!”

“Likewise!” Junko says cheerily.

“And… ah, I’m sorry…” Maizono shoots an apologetic look in Mukuro’s direction. “I don’t know your name.”

“Mukuro Ikusaba,” Mukuro replies, a bit stiffly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m Sayaka Maizono.”

“I know who you are.”

Maizono politely ignores this last remark. “You’ll forgive me for asking, but… are you two sisters? You look rather alike.”

“Really?” Junko frowns thoughtfully. “I suppose it’s true that we’re the same height, but Muku-chan’s hair looks nothing like mine. And she’s got freckles! Besides, I’ve obviously got the better figure.”

“Yes,” Mukuro says, “we’re sisters.”

“Maizono-san,” Naegi asks, “have you met everyone here already?”

“Just about!” Maizono smiles prettily. “You three got here somewhat late — most of us have been here for a while. Though…” her smile fades, “it’s strange. Everyone I’ve talked to seems to have suffered some sort of fainting spell upon entering the school. We all woke up in various classrooms with no memory of how we got there. Is that true for you three as well?”

“Mukuro-nee and I woke up in the same classroom,” Junko says. “We decided to do some investigating of our own before we came here. We didn’t bump into anyone but Naegi-kun along the way.”

“Excuse me for butting in,” a very plump boy interjects, “but did you also see the metal plates covering the windows?”

“How could we miss them?” Mukuro looks distinctly irritated.

“What do you think that means?” The boy fiddles with his glasses nervously. “And, more importantly… is it to protect us from something _without_? Or is it to keep us _within_?”

“You’re Hifumi Yamada, aren’t you?” Naegi asks. “The doujin artist?”

The boy puffs out his chest. “Certainly I am. And you are?”

“Makoto Naegi, and this is—”

“Junko Enoshima, and my sister Mukuro Ikusaba!” Junko finishes for him.

“Junko, I can introduce myself,” Mukuro mumbles.

“An honor to meet you!”

The light glinting off Yamada’s glasses obscures his beady eyes somewhat, but Junko is nearly positive that his gaze is fixed somewhere lower than her face.

“Enoshima Junko-dono, the famous gyaru…” Yamada’s perspiring slightly as he stares at her. “Yes, it really is you. Unmistakably you!”

“ _Junko-dono?_ ” Mukuro mouths, face caught somewhere between horror and amusement.

Junko is beginning to feel as if she’s had quite enough interaction with her classmates for the time being. “Naegi-kun,” she says, a bit petulantly, “when’s the opening ceremony going to get _started_ already?”

Naegi, who has been fiddling with something in his pocket, shoots her a startled look, just as a familiar voice sounds from the front of the room.

“Is everyone here? Well, then, let’s get started!”

* * *

“A _stuffed bear_?” Mukuro says in astonishment, staring at the black-and-white thing that’s standing on the podium.

“It’s cute!” Junko claps her hands together. “I did a photo shoot with plush bears once.”

“I’m no ordinary plush toy!” the bear proclaims. It’s unmistakably the same voice that they’d heard coming from the TV monitor earlier. “I’m Monobear! I’m the headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy!”

Junko giggles.

“It’s nice to meet you all!” There’s a slight note of mockery in the bear’s tone.

Yamada lets out a noise somewhere between a yell and a squeal. “It talks!”

“Remain calm, classmates!” Ishimaru orders, his voice faltering slightly. “There must be a speaker installed somewhere in the toy, that’s all. There has to be a reasonable explanation for this!”

The plush bear — Monobear, Junko thinks, what a funny name — leans forward on the podium, raising its arms above its head in what is a surprisingly good approximation of threatening anger for a stuffed toy.

“Hey, didn’t you hear me before? I’m _not_ a toy! I’m Monobear! Your new headmaster!”

Yamada lets out another squeal of distress.

A tall, blond-haired boy standing to Junko’s left gives a derisive snort. “Honestly,” he says, looking disdainfully at Yamada, “it’s obvious that this is a remote-controlled machine. A sort of robot. There’s no need for such childish outbursts.”

“You’re not completely wrong about that, Togami-kun,” Monobear says gleefully, “but you’re far from being all the way right! I expect all of you bastards to do better than that in school. Making false assertions about one’s headmaster is a dreadful way to start the school year!”

The smallest of their new classmates, a skinny, shy-looking girl whom Junko recognizes as being the famous programmer Chihiro Fujisaki, raises her hand timidly. “Um, so are you really our new headmaster?”

“Hold on a second,” Mukuro interrupts. Her fists are clenched by her sides in nervous anger. “ ‘You bastards’?! Since when does a headmaster address his students like that?”

“There’ll be plenty of time for questions after!” Monobear waves a stubby, stuffed paw at the assembled students. “Now, it’s time to begin the proceedings. If everyone could please quiet down…”

Indeed, the sixteen newcomers to Hope’s Peak Academy are finding it rather difficult to be quiet. Somewhere near the front of the room, an athletic-looking girl with her hair in a ponytail (Junko can’t remember her name, but recalls vaguely that she’s a swimmer) is talking loudly and animatedly to an enormously muscular girl in a sailor uniform (Junko is certain that this is Sakura Oogami, famous wrestler and quite possibly the strongest person on the planet). Another girl with long brown braids is muttering to herself while chewing nervously at her fingers. Nearby, Yamada continues to make fearful, high-pitched noises, clutching at his chest in shock.

Rather than waiting for them to be quiet, Monobear raises his voice to speak above the hubbub. “Stand! Bow! Good morning, you punks!”

Ishimaru is the only one to bow and return the greeting; most of the other students have only been sent into a heightened state of confused panic by Monobear’s words. Junko, for her own part, feels her heart beating faster than usual, but no fear; only adrenaline.

“To begin today’s ceremony,” Monobear announces, “I’d like to give a short speech. Ahem!” He clears his throat with a distinctly squeaky noise that almost makes Junko burst into giggles again.

“All of you bastards are geniuses, overflowing with hope and talent. You—” he makes a dramatic sweeping gesture with one paw “—are the hope of the nation! The hope of the world! Therefore, in order to preserve and guard this hope that you all have sleeping within you, from now on you will live a communal lifestyle within the walls of this school! Let’s all hope for a wonderful and harmonious life together!”

The chatter has begun to quiet down. All attention in the room is focused on the plush bear, who parades back and forth on top of the podium; first displaying his white side to the students, next his black side.

“In addition,” Monobear continues, “this lifestyle shall continue indefinitely! In other words, you bastards will be spending your entire lives in this school!”

“W-what?” The girl with the dark braids clutches at her forehead.

“You heard me! But there’s nothing to worry about. This school’s budget is incredible! You’ll be living quite comfortably — you punks won’t want for anything, I can promise!”

Several students attempt to speak at once, effectively drowning one another out. Mukuro’s voice is among those adding to the clamor, but Junko isn’t paying attention to her words. She stares, transfixed, at the plush bear on the podium, her heart racing.

Live in Hope’s Peak forever? She can hardly process the thought.

“…just a joke, right?” Mukuro clutches at Junko’s arm as she says this, fingernails digging deep, and Junko lets out a small gasp as the pain pulls her back to her senses.

“Not at all!” Monobear responds, his tone as cheerful as ever. “What, aren’t you bastards _grateful_? You’re going to be completely cut off from that nasty outside world you used to live in. Isn’t that good news? Aren’t you glad to have such a generous headmaster? You should all be _beary_ pleased!” He giggles at his own pun. “Upupu!”

Naegi, who’s been practically silent the whole time, speaks up. “The steel plates over the windows… they’re there to keep us in? The metal bulkhead blocking the door to the outside?”

“Exactly! Even if you all stood by the same window and shouted, you know, no one would be able to hear you! Not like anyone would be listening for you punks. Upupupupu!”

A boy with a ridiculous pompadour — Junko is reasonably certain, judging by his leather jacket, that this is renowned motorcycle gang leader Mondo Oowada — interrupts Monobear’s laughter. “Shut the hell up! This fuckin’ joke has gone way too far! If you don’t stop it, I’ll…”

“Oh?” Monobear cocks his head to the side. “You’ll do what? And is what you’re planning on doing enough to get you out of here?” He claps his paws to his mouth, shoulders shaking as though with silent laughter.

“Then there _is_ some way to get out?” A girl in gothic lolita twirls a strand of her hair thoughtfully around one finger.

“As this school’s headmaster, I’ve created a special rule for anyone who wants to leave!” Monobear rocks backward and forward, like a child restless with anticipation. “The rule is called ‘graduation’! I’d be happy to tell you all about it.”

“Do go on,” the blond boy says, adjusting his spectacles.

“If any one of you is to break the order of our communal lifestyle, that person, and that person alone, will be permitted to leave the school grounds!”

“And exactly what do you mean by that?” The blond boy’s tone is thick with annoyance, but Junko can clearly perceive the fear underneath it.

Monobear giggles again before replying.

“Killing another person.”

“Killing another person?” Naegi echoes.

“Beating, stabbing, clubbing, beheading, strangling, poisoning, slaughtering, voodoo…” Monobear illustrates each word in turn with crude gestures. “The method’s not important! It’s the outcome that matters! The more evil the crime, the better the results!”

For once, the room is completely silent following Monobear’s words.

“You know, thrusting kids with such great hope as you lot into such a despair-inducing situation…” Junko swears she can see a blush forming on the plush bear’s cheeks. “It’s _beary_ exciting!”

“Wait, what did it just say?” The speaker is a redheaded boy whom Junko doesn’t recognize. “We’re supposed to _kill_ each other if we want to leave? Kill as in, like… murder?”

“I’d be happy to provide a dictionary!” Monobear says gleefully.

“How long are you gonna keep this up for?” This speaker is also unfamiliar to Junko; she’d certainly be aware of having seen someone with such an absurd afro before. “You caught us all by surprise, dude, but the prank’s over now, ‘right?”

“Oh, I assure you,” the bear says, and there’s a steely undertone to his voice that sends shivers creeping down Junko’s back, “this isn’t a prank. How thick-headed are you people? I’ve explained this all thoroughly, and yet it seems you’re still confused. Let me lay it out for you.” He pauses, as though for dramatic effect. “All of you bastards are to live in this school indefinitely — unless, of course, you’re willing to kill someone to get out!”

“That’s it!” Oowada smacks his right fist into the palm of his left hand threateningly, advancing toward the podium. “I’ve had it with your bullshit! Stop fucking with us!”

“Oowada-kun, don’t touch it!” Naegi says sharply. “It could be dangerous!”

Oowada rounds on Naegi. “You trying to tell me what I can and can’t do, small fry?”

“Our classmate may be right,” rumbles Oogami, the wrestler. “We do not know what this opponent is capable of.”

“Naegi-kun’s probably right,” Mukuro says, trying to keep her voice steady. “Didn’t any of you see the guns mounted by the entrance? Whoever’s behind this, they clearly aren’t above trying to hurt us.”

“Or even kill us!” Junko adds.

Oogami stands squarely in front of Oowada, blocking his path towards Monobear.

“Excellent deductions!” Monobear claps his paws together in mock applause. “You’re absolutely correct! Disobedient students will be punished, and this isn’t any ordinary punishment we’re talking about, either!”

A few shocked murmurs, not to mention a frustrated grunt from Oowada, follow his words.

“Before I call this ceremony to an end,” Monobear continues, “I’d like to give you all a gift! Something to commemorate your arrival at this school, and to serve you in your time here at Hope’s Peak Academy! That is… for the rest of your lives, however short they may be!”

He produces a slim, black object from somewhere behind him, holding it high above his head.

“This is an Electronic Student ID card! It has many functions, which I’m sure you’ll all find useful! Each one of them is customized with your name and student data. Oh, and by the way — it’s completely waterproof! Withstands up to ten tons of pressure! It’s a miracle of modern engineering!”

The device looks something like a smartphone, and is about the right size to fit into a pocket. Were her mind not otherwise preoccupied, Junko might be mentally commending it on its sleek, fashionable design.

“Most importantly, your Electronic Student ID cards contain a list of school rules! I suggest you all read them carefully and commit them to memory. Violations of school rules will not be taken lightly!” Monobear giggles. “Offenders run the risk of gruesome punishment! Upupupu! And, with that—” his tone switches to one of mock formality, and he bows “—I welcome each and every one of you to Hope’s Peak Academy!”

Before anyone has time to react, the stuffed bear is gone.

* * *

“Everyone, please keep calm.”

The speaker is the purple-haired, dark-jacketed girl Mukuro had referred to earlier. To Junko, she is another unfamiliar face. Her eyes are the same pale shade of lilac as her hair, and her expression is impassive. From all outward appearances, at least, this girl is having no difficulty keeping calm herself.

“Let’s go over what we know,” she continues, her voice quiet and even. The others have fallen silent, listening to her; fascinating how easily they defer to a leader, Junko thinks.

“We’ve been presented with two options. First, we can all live peacefully in this school for an indefinite period of time. And second…”

“Kill another student to get out,” Junko finishes.

“But there’s no way…” Fujisaki, the timid programmer, is clearly on the verge of tears. “There’s no way any one of us could do that. Right?”

“We cannot discount that possibility,” the girl in the dark jacket says.

“Of course we can’t.” The tall, blond boy smirks and brushes his bangs out of his eyes.

“Who’s he?” Junko whispers loudly.

“Byakuya Togami, heir to the Togami conglomerate,” Naegi whispers back.

“What do you mean?” Yamada protests, pointing nervously at Fujisaki. “She’s right! None of us could ever kill another student, could they?”

“That plush toy was obviously lying about many things!” Ishimaru tries, and fails, to sound as authoritative as usual. “He was clearly lying about being the headmaster! He must also have been lying about this ‘graduation’ rule!”

“Ishimaru-kun,” the purple-haired girl says, “you’re misunderstanding the nature of the problem. It’s not whether or not Monobear intends to keep up his end of the deal that we should be worrying about, it’s—”

Togami cuts her off. “The problem is that, regardless of whether or not the stuffed bear was lying, someone among us may have taken it seriously.”

The students all exchange nervous glances.

“This is…” Junko, speaking quietly, searches for the right phrase. “Despair-inducing! That’s it! There’s no way of knowing whether one of us believed Monobear or not! It’s unsolvable!”

Mukuro’s hand finds Junko’s and squeezes it tight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was my first time writing a lot of these characters, i tried to do okay
> 
> at this point there's not a whole lot of canon divergence other than the obvious, but don't worry, everything's gonna go way off the rails before you know it


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't worry, i didn't forget about this fic! is "second chapter syndrome" a thing because i always have trouble with second chapters, that's why it's been months, oops

Following Junko’s words, the room has fallen completely silent. Junko sees wary looks being cast around the room, students purposefully avoiding eye contact with one another. Tension is palpable in the air, building as if towards a climax.

Any one of them could kill me, Junko thinks. Any one of them could be killed _by_ me.

Her heart pounds.

“Well, we can’t just stare at one another forever,” the purple-haired girl says evenly.

“Duh! We gotta find some way to get out of here!” The redhead with the goatee makes a nervous, incoherent gesture with his hands, as if to illustrate his words. “There’s totally got to be some way to escape, right?”

“Of course! I apologize for not suggesting this earlier!” Ishimaru looks caught somewhere between fear and embarrassment. He’s blinking too fast, and Junko wonders if he’s going to cry.

“We’ve got to find whoever’s behind this,” Mukuro says — her hand, still clutching Junko’s, is shaking with anger — “and make them pay for what they’ve put us through.”

“Um, but first,” Fujisaki pipes up, “shouldn’t we check out those Electronic Student ID cards that Monobear left for us?”

All eyes turn to the box sitting next to the podium.

“He said there was a list of rules,” Fujisaki continues, “so maybe we ought to look at them before we do anything else?”

Several heads nod in agreement. Ishimaru, seeming relieved to have something to do, quickly retrieves the box and sets it down in the middle of the gymnasium.

No one is too eager to approach the box; the atmosphere is too tense for any of the students to feel comfortable being in close proximity to one another as they dig through the box to find their ID cards. In the end, Ishimaru and Naegi end up distributing most of them.

Junko’s own card must have been somewhere near the bottom, because it’s a while before Ishimaru retrieves hers. In the meantime, she watches as the others’ cards are distributed.

“Ikusaba-san? This one is yours.” Naegi holds out the ID card to Mukuro, and she lets go of Junko’s hand to take it. Junko sees the way Mukuro’s fingertips scrabble against Naegi’s palm as she curls her hand around the device, sees the strangely charged look that passes from Naegi to Mukuro once her hand pulls away.

Then he’s gone, calling out to the next student. “Kirigiri-san? Here’s your card…”

“I think he likes you,” Junko whispers to Mukuro. Mukuro frowns.

* * *

**Hope’s Peak Academy - Rules**

**1\. Students will live a communal lifestyle for an indefinite period of time within the school.**

**2\. “Night Time” hours are from 10 pm to 7 am. During Night Time, some places are off-limits to students.**

**3\. Sleeping is permitted only in the dormitory rooms. Any student caught falling asleep intentionally outside of the dorms will be punished.**

**4\. You are free to investigate the school freely, and no special restrictions other than those listed are placed on your actions.**

**5\. Violence against the academy’s headmaster, Monobear, is strictly forbidden, as is destroying or tampering with the security cameras.**

**6\. Any student who kills a fellow student shall be allowed to graduate if no one finds out that they are the culprit.**

**7\. Additional rules may be added by the headmaster at any time.**

* * *

“So he can just add new rules whenever he wants?” Junko says loudly. “That’s _so_ lame!”  
 ****

No one acknowledges her comment. Most of the students are still bent over their ID cards, studying the list of rules they’ve been given. Several faces are pale with shock. A few students, apparently done looking at the rules, are pacing back and forth restlessly. Others look like they’re fighting to keep their entire bodies from shaking; the brown-braided girl in particular looks like she might be on the verge of a nervous collapse.

“What might the consequences for breaking the rules be?” The speaker is the girl clad in goth lolita. “I’d be curious to see what happens to rule-breakers.” A tiny smile plays about her lips, and her crimson eyes gleam.

“You’ve seen the guns by the entrance, haven’t you?” Mukuro snaps. “Doesn’t that give you enough of an idea?”

“Fuck that thing’s rules!” Oowada snarls. “We can’t let it control us that easily!”

“Unfortunately,” Togami says, glancing disdainfully at the gang leader, “at the present time it seems we have little choice.”

“Excuse me, but… is anyone else confused about rule number six?” asks Maizono.

Several students check their ID cards to verify the rule she’s talking about.

“It says that we can graduate if we kill another student, but that we can’t let anyone else find out about the murder?” Maizono casts an anxious glance around the room. “Sorry, I just want to be sure I’m reading this correctly…”

“I believe it means that if a student wishes to graduate, they must commit murder without another student discovering that they’re the culprit,” the purple-haired girl says. “In other words, the crime must remain unsolved.”

“We don’t have to worry about that one!” the boy with the goatee says, speaking much louder than is necessary. “No one’s gonna kill anyone else! It’s all a… stupid joke, or something…”

The room falls into brief, uneasy silence.

“In any case,” the girl with purple hair continues, “I suggest we all split up and search the school.”

“Very well.” Togami turns on his heel. “I’ll be going alone.”

“Why alone?” Naegi questions. “Wouldn’t it be safest to go in groups?”

Togami makes a derisive noise in his throat. “You’re suggesting that I cooperate with one of you? For all I know, you’re already plotting murder.”

“You can’t just say that!” the ponytailed swimmer exclaims.

“You can’t deny the possibility.” Togami isn’t the tallest student in the room, but he manages to give the appearance of looking down on them all regardless. “Isn’t that why all of you are so nervous right now? Because that possibility exists?”

Before anyone can reply, he’s gone.

“That bastard!” Oowada says loudly. “Does he think he can get away with whatever he wants?”

“Never mind him,” Naegi says, eyes darting around the room nervously. “Shouldn’t we all just get into groups so we can go and explore?”

* * *

The students split up into groups of twos and threes, and, after it becomes clear that Naegi intends to depart with Maizono, Junko gestures to Mukuro to follow her out of the gymnasium.

Once they’re out in the hall, Junko pauses, listening to the footsteps of her new classmates until the sound fades away.

“Muku-chan,” she says, “how long do you think it’ll be before the first murder happens?”

Mukuro’s eyes widen. “What?”

“The way I see it,” Junko continues, “even if just getting to leave isn’t incentive enough, before too long we’ll all go stir-crazy. Someone’s going to end up trying something. They’ll get desperate, and they’ll go after whoever looks like the easiest target.” She pauses. “I’m thinking Fujisaki-san. What do you think?”

Mukuro, eyes still wide, doesn’t answer.

“Oh, _come on_!” Junko snaps. “You’re supposed to be an amazing soldier, aren’t you? A Super High-school Level Soldier? How come you’re so fucking _nervous_ about death all of a sudden? It’s _bullshit_!”

She strikes a pose for emphasis; one hand on her hip, the other pointing in an accusatory manner at her sister. Accusatory in a cute, fashionable way, of course.

“It’s not that I’m scared by our current situation,” Mukuro says. “I can handle any attempts on my life. Knowing my talent, no one should peg me for an easy target, anyway.” She pauses. Her expression has gone blank, perfectly composed, and it annoys Junko to no end. What sort of boring person would want to hide their emotions like that?

“What does alarm me,” Mukuro continues, “is that this is even happening at all.” Her eyes meet Junko’s, and the emotionless façade cracks enough for Junko to see the anxiety in her gaze. “Something’s _really_ wrong here, Junko. I just have a gut feeling about it. Don’t you?”

Junko frowns. “No. You’re overreacting, Mukuro-chan. Sure, it’s plenty weird and all — it’s fiendish, even! It’s totally twisted! It’s like something out of a horror story, you know, getting locked in a school and told to kill people! But _we’ll_ be okay. You can protect yourself, and I know you’d protect me, too.”

“Okay,” Mukuro says. “Okay.” She nods, a bit too vigorously. “You’re right, Junko. Whatever’s going on, the two of us can get through it.”

Her eyes meet Junko’s again as she smiles, and Junko feels a sudden rush of affection for her twin, a sudden desire to pull her into a hug and tell her that she loves her, but she doesn’t act on it.

* * *

They’ve just started to head off to explore when they hear footsteps pattering behind them, and suddenly Naegi’s there, clearly out of breath from trying to catch up.

“I got worried,” he says. “Maizono-san and I didn’t see you when we were looking around, and we saw just about everyone else, and then I got to thinking that something bad might have happened already…”

He trails off, eyes downcast bashfully.

Junko giggles. “Naegi-kun, you’re so silly! Of course we’re fine. Where’s Maizono-san, anyway?”

“She went to investigate the dorms. I told her I was going to go and try and find you.” Naegi goes slightly pink. “I just got worried about you guys. Sorry.”

“No worries!” Junko says cheerily. “Do you want to walk with us?”

He looks taken aback. “You’d really like to have someone like me accompany you? I’m not any good at investigating things. I don’t even have a real talent.”

“You’ve got to be good at something!” Junko insists. “Hey — I know what you’re good at, Naegi-kun! You seem to know a lot about our classmates. You knew about Ishimaru-kun and Yamada-kun and Togami-kun, and… hey, how come you know Maizono-san, anyway?”

“She went to school with me,” Naegi says, “but we weren’t friends or anything. I just knew who she was, because, well…” He shrugs, as if to say that there’s no need to explain further, and there isn’t. Even back in her junior high years, Sayaka Maizono was famous.

“How do you think she knows you, then, if you weren’t friends?” Mukuro asks.

Naegi looks taken aback. “Um, I… I have no idea.”

“What about that goth loli?” Junko asks. “Who’s she?”

“Oh, her? That’s Celestia Ludenberg. She’s a gambler.”

Junko tries to sound out the unfamiliar name and fails. “She _is_ Japanese, isn’t she?”

“I think so.”

“Do you know her real name, Naegi-kun?”

He shakes his head.

“I’ve heard of her,” Mukuro says suddenly. “She’s ‘The Queen of Liars,’ isn’t she? Isn’t that what they call her?”

Naegi nods. “Yeah, um… she’s an amazing gambler. They say she never loses.” His small shoulders hunch, and he wraps his arms around himself briefly before letting go. “They say she’s ruined lives. Taken people for everything they own, you know.”

“ _She’s_ someone to watch out for,” Junko decides. “A person like that could kill at any minute! Don’t you think?”

Mukuro interrupts. “Who’s the one with the long brown braids?”

“That’s Touko Fukawa, the author. She wrote… um, it was called ‘Before the Sea’s Scent Fades Away,’ I think.”

“Was that the book about the fisherman?” Junko asks. “The one where the girl and her fisherman lover do the—”

Mukuro holds up her hands. “I get it, I get it.”

“The redhead?” Junko asks, changing the subject.

“Leon Kuwata,” Naegi says. “Famous baseball player.”

“ _That’s_ Leon Kuwata?” Junko isn’t much of a baseball fan, but she does recall some sort of baseball prodigy being talked about on the news and such; the boy in question had been clean-shaven, though, with close-cropped hair. “He looks totally different!”

Naegi shrugs. “I didn’t recognize him either at first. He came over to talk to me and Maizono-san. He said something about how he wants to become a musician… maybe that’s why he’s changing his image?”

Junko, having already lost interest in Leon Kuwata, changes the subject again. “The girl with the brown ponytail is a swimmer, right?”

“Yes. That’s Aoi Asahina.”

“I’ve never heard of her,” Mukuro says.

“She’s really famous,” Naegi tells her. “She has loads of fans. She’s a big deal on the internet, too, because she’s such an incredible swimmer.”

“I bet it’s because she’s really cute, too,” Junko adds. “I bet she looks _amazing_ in a swimsuit! Especially because she’s so big-chested — don’t _you_ think so, Naegi-kun?”

He goes pink. “Um, I hadn’t thought about it like that…”

“Liar,” Junko says happily. “Who’s that girl with the purple hair?”

Naegi opens his mouth as though to reply, but then closes it again, his blush deepening. “I… actually don’t know.”

“Not even her name?” Junko presses.

“I don’t know anything about her. I couldn’t find anything about her online. Not even a photo.”

“Do you think she’s like you?” Mukuro asks Naegi. “No talent, I mean.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Junko rolls her eyes at her twin. “They wouldn’t let in _two_ nobodies without talents, Mukuro-nee. No offense!” she adds brightly to Naegi.

She wonders if he _will_ take offense, and watches his face carefully. His expression doesn’t change, though, and Junko feels an inexplicable twinge of disappointment.

* * *

“Well, we can’t break down the doors,” Asahina announces.

The students of Hope’s Peak Academy have gathered in the cafeteria. Several hours have passed since they began their search for a way out; Junko instinctively digs in her pocket for her cell phone, forgetting momentarily that it had vanished sometime between her arrival at Hope’s Peak and the blackout she had suffered in the entrance hall.

Oogami inclines her head gravely. “Despite my best efforts, the door sealing us in remains undamaged. ’Tis clear that not even one as strong as I can destroy it.”

“Obviously not,” Mukuro says under her breath. “That bulkhead is made of iron.”

“No one in the world could break down that door,” Naegi says. When Junko glances at him, he blinks up at her, startled. “Well, it’s true! Oogami-san’s the strongest person in the world! If she can’t get us out,” he continues, speaking as if to himself again, “nobody can get us out.”

“We’ve got plenty of food,” tiny Fujisaki pipes up. “So we won’t have to worry about that for a while, anyway.”

“I have fortunate news!” Ishimaru announces, clearly trying his hardest to sound upbeat. “There are private rooms assigned to each one of us in the dormitories! We have even been provided with labeled keys!”

“The rooms are also soundproof,” Mukuro says. “Naegi-kun, my sister, and I tested that together.”

She still seems a little subdued, Junko notes. Poor Muku-chan. She’s used to combat, but this sort of trap must have taken her off-guard as much as it had the rest of them.

“Hey, did anyone figure out how to get to the second floor?” Kuwata wants to know.

Oogami shakes her head. “The stairways in both the school and dormitory areas are blocked by shutter gates. Asahina and I could find no way of opening them.”

“I checked all the windows,” Kuwata says, “but they’re all sealed shut. Couldn’t get any of those metal plates off.”

“Has anyone seen that goddamn bear?” asks Oowada.

Fujisaki nods. “Um, when I was checking how much food we had, he showed up and told me he’s going to replenish the food whenever we run low. That’s why I don’t think we have to worry about that. Not right now, at least…” She trails off. 

“Where’d he go after that?”

“I don’t know.” Fujisaki sounds apologetic. “He moves too fast. Far too sophisticated for a remote-controlled toy,” she adds. “At least, any that I’ve ever seen.”

“Togami-kun,” Naegi asks, “did you find anything?”

Togami looks witheringly at the smaller boy. “If I had anything of significance to report, I would have already done so.”

Naegi seems unfazed by Togami’s rudeness. “Fukawa-san? What about you?”

“Huh?” Fukawa, who’s been standing off to the side of the group, twitches at the sound of her name. “N-no one invited me to investigate with them… I was l-left on my own…”

“Well, that’s not entirely true, is it?” Celes smiles prettily. “I remained in the gym as well. Investigations aren’t really my style.”

“What the hell were you thinking?” Mukuro snaps. “We need as many people to gather information as we can get.”

“Hey, let’s not get upset, ‘right?” The speaker is the boy with the afro — Yasuhiro Hagakure, famous fortune-teller, according to Naegi. “We should try and stay calm, y’know?”

“Indeed.”

The girl with the purple hair has just entered the cafeteria. Junko hadn’t even noticed her absence earlier. 

“Kirigiri-kun!” Ishimaru exclaims. “You’re extremely tardy! This meeting started quite some time ago! Where have you been?”

So Ishimaru must have asked her her name, Junko thinks. Perhaps he had a chance to speak to her during the investigation. Or perhaps he’d read it off a student roster.

Kirigiri crosses to the table they’ve all gathered around and pulls out a sheet of paper, laying it silently on the tabletop.

“What’s that?” Naegi asks.

“Floor plans for this academy,” Kirigiri says.

“Where did you get—”

Mukuro interrupts. “So what? Do those plans tell us anything useful?”

“Unfortunately,” Kirigiri says, “these plans are only for the first floor. They seem mostly consistent with the building we’re in, meaning we probably aren’t inside some elaborate duplicate of the real Hope’s Peak. But there seem to be a number of odd alterations.”

“Alterations?” Naegi echoes.

“Like I said,” Kirigiri continues, her gaze meeting Naegi’s for the first time, “it is unfortunate that I could not find plans for the other floors.”

“What’s going on here?” Yamada, who’s been quiet until now, suddenly cuts in, his voice high-pitched and panicky. “Where are all the other students? Why are we trapped in here?”

Hagakure frowns. “Don’t be so gloomy, dude. It’s just initiation, ‘right? Nothing worth getting all worried about.”

“Do you really think that’s true?” Kuwata asks, sounding strangely small.

Celes titters quietly to herself.

“If we’ve confirmed one thing in the course of this investigation,” she says, “it’s that we most certainly are trapped here. There is no possible means of escape. Other than, of course, seeking graduation, as Monobear explained to us.”

Fukawa lets out a distressed whimper and buries her face in her hands.

“So what do we do?” Kuwata asks, his voice cracking on the last syllable. “What do we do?”

Silence hangs in the air, as heavily as it had earlier in the gymnasium.

“Simple,” Celes says, once the pause in conversation has grown almost unbearable. “We adapt.”

“What?” asks Asahina.

Celes smiles.

“Just as it is in nature, those who adapt to this new environment will survive. Those who do not—” she inclines her head daintily, as though curtseying “—will not.”

Another muffled whimper comes from Fukawa’s direction. Celes ignores the noise. “Based on this, I have something to suggest.”

“What is it?” Naegi prompts.

“During Night Time hours,” Celes says, “we should keep to our rooms.”

“You want to modify the Night Time rule?” Naegi sounds confused. “But there’s already places we aren’t allowed to go at night.”

“Be that as it may, our movement is unrestricted for the most part. And wouldn’t that just make us paranoid, to think someone might be coming to kill us once the lights are out?” Celes’ smile is back, enigmatic. “Such paranoid thoughts would wear us out swiftly. I propose we agree to remain in our rooms at night. But since this isn’t an official rule, it won’t be enforced; everyone will have to agree to it together.”

“I agree,” Mukuro says hastily. All eyes turn to her, and she stares back, defiant. “Look, that goth loli is right. If we don’t make some rules about how we’re going to live, we’ll never make it through this.”

“On behalf of all students, I approve this rule!” Ishimaru announces.

“Who made you our representative?” hisses Fukawa.

“It appears that’s settled,” Celes says, ignoring Fukawa’s remark. “With that decided, I think I shall retire to my chamber. Night Time is soon.”

Before anyone can object, she sweeps gracefully out of the cafeteria.

“We might as well all head to bed,” Naegi says. “If that’s okay with you, Ishimaru-kun? Since this meeting was your idea, and all.”

“Indeed, it seems best to adjourn for now!” Ishimaru nods. “We should all try to sleep. Unless we’re rested, it will be very difficult to make any progress with our plans to escape!”

Celes’ words echo in Junko’s mind: _no possible means of escape_. They sound odd, hollow, as though they mean nothing at all. Junko tries to envision living forever inside Hope’s Peak, growing old alongside her new classmates, but it’s as if her mind can’t grasp the idea.

* * *

The bedrooms all have blue tile flooring and bright pinkish-red walls. The bed is less comfortable than what Junko is used to, but she kicks off her boots and stretches out on the bed all the same.

No way out, she thinks. This is my room now. This is my room forever.

It’s no use; the notion that she’s stuck in Hope’s Peak for the rest of her life refuses to sink in. All Junko can feel is a confused numbness.

Maybe Mukuro-chan had been right earlier when she said something about this situation felt wrong. It's deeper than just the horror of the day’s events. Something has been wrong ever since she first regained consciousness in Hope’s Peak. Something feels missing.

Exhaustion sneaks up on her fast; Junko is asleep before she can begin to figure out what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> very meet-the-cast, i know, but i wanted to cover any important ground that canon did at this point
> 
> had to reread dr's prologue in order to write this haha it's been like a year since i


End file.
